A ribbon coaxial cable, known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,552 to Schumacher, Nov. 27, 1973, comprises spaced apart coaxial conductors that are parallel side-to-side in a common plane and in an insulative jacket. The centerlines of the conductors are spaced apart by distances that are matched to corresponding distances between centerlines of respective electrical terminals mounted in an electrical connector. The conductors are capable of alignment with corresponding terminals without a need for exposing the conductors from the cable jacket. Such alignment reduces difficulties associated with finding the conductors in the jacket and with handling each conductor individually for alignment with a corresponding terminal. Thus, ribbon coaxial cable comprises parallel coaxial conductors in a common plane thereby to reduce the difficulties associated with, first, finding of the conductors within the cable and then, aligning the conductors for connection with respective electrical terminals.
One disadvantage of ribbon coaxial cable is its lack of capacity for flexure in the common plane of the conductors. Ribbon coaxial cable is not suited for use in an environment which requires flexure of the cable in many different planes. Another type of coaxial cable that is more suitable, contains multiple coaxial conductors in a bundle, wherein the conductors are not in a common plane and are packed closely together side-to-side in the bundle to reduce interstitial spaces along the bundle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,603 discloses a cable of this construction. This cable is flexible in more planes than is a ribbon coaxial cable, but lacks the advantages of parallel conductors in a common plane as in a ribbon coaxial cable.